Tubing hangers, also known as dognuts, are often used to connect tubing or pipe in a string to a pup joint. A typical tubing hanger has a threaded inner diameter at one end that receives and threads onto an end of the pup joint of the string. A threaded inner diameter at its opposite end receives and threads to the tubing of the string. Tubing hangers come in various sizes and with various external cylindrical shapes.
From time to time, for clean-up, repair, or for other reasons, the tubing hangers must be removed from their strings. One removal method includes transferring power-tong breaking torque from the pup joint to the bottom connection of the tubing hanger so that the tubing hanger unthreads from the tubing.
A removal tool may be used to prevent unthreading of the wrong connection. A conventional removal tool that engages both the pup joint and the bottom connection of the tubing hanger is formed of two pipe wrenches connected by a chain extending between wrench handles. One pipe wrench connects to the pup joint and the other connects to the tubing hanger. With the pipe wrenches engaged, power tongs may apply torque through the pup joint, which is transferred through the chain to the tubing hanger, preventing relative rotation between the pup joint and the tubing hanger. Accordingly, the pup joint and tubing hanger together rotate relative to the tubing or pipe string to unthread the tubing hanger from the tubing or pipe string. Such a removal tool can, however, be cumbersome, hard to adjust, difficult to hold in place until the power tongs apply sufficient loading to hold the tool in place and may impose some risk to the users by slipping or breaking. Because tubing hangers have external profiles that vary in shape, easy to use removal tools that are generic to these multiple shapes, that may be easier to use, and/or that decrease risks would be helpful.
The apparatuses and methods described herein may overcome one or more of the deficiencies in conventional systems.